Raiders go 2-2, Pirates win one during competitive Medford Invitational
MEDFORD VOLLEYBALL INVITATIONAL
It took a team’s “A game” to win matches in Saturday’s Medford Volleyball Invitational, especially against the teams that finished in the upper half of the nine-team tournament.
The host Medford Raiders finished right in the middle of the final standings. The Raiders went 1-1 in their opening pool, falling in a close 2-1 match with Bloomer and sweeping Gilman 2-0.
By taking second in that pool, Medford advanced to the three-team Silver bracket that determined fourth through sixth place overall. Medford swept Cadott 2-0 and got swept by Stanley-Boyd.
Gilman got a tough opening draw, facing Division 2 teams Medford and Bloomer in pool play and got swept by both. The Pirates won their opening match in the Bronze bracket over Owen-Withee and then got swept by Ashland to finish eighth in the final standings.
The Gold bracket results demonstrated how tough the upper half of the field was as those three teams all went 1-1 in bracket play. Bloomer won the championship based on its 3-2 game record in the bracket. The Blackhawks swept Three Lakes 2-0 and lost to Columbus Catholic 2-1. Three Lakes swept Columbus Catholic 2-0 and finished second in the tiebreaker.
The Medford/Bloomer match was one of the best of the day. The Raiders started the match with one of their best stretches of play this fall with crisp execution on offense that allowed them to build leads of 7-2 and 13-5 in the first set. Bloomer fought its way back within 18-17, but Megan Fredrikson got two key kills, Allie Paulson won with a tip at the net and Martha Miller closed out the 25-21 win with a perfect crossing shot that hit the sideline.
Bloomer denied Medford’s bid for a sweep using two key runs in game two to win 25-17. Bloomer led game three 4-1, Medford fought back and took a 9-7 lead on Olivia Krug’s back-row attack.
But the Blackhawks’ top hitter, Alexa Post, went on a hitting spree to turn the tide and Bloomer rallied for a 15-11 win.
Medford controlled its opening set with Gilman 25-12. Game two was close for awhile. Medford’s lead was just 13-10 after Gilman’s Ava Gunderson drove a kill through Medford’s double block, but Ruesch blocked Gilman’s Tatum Weir, Katie Lybert served an ace and that sparked Medford to a 25-16 win.
The Pirates, playing without starting setter Abby Chaplinski, had some good moments against Bloomer but didn’t string enough of them together to spring the upset as Bloomer won 25-16, 25-17.
The Medford/Cadott match featured a mother/daughter coaching matchup. The mother, Medford’s Cheryl Schreiner, got what she said was her first win over a team coached by daughter Lynn Schreiner in the Raiders’ 25-21, 25-19 win that again featured solid play throughout from the Raiders.
Medford gave Stanley-Boyd and its impressive outside hitter Emily Brenner a first-set battle before the Orioles held for a 25-23 win. The Raiders seemingly ran out of gas in set two and fell 25-14.
Schreiner said the Raiders’ effort for the day was good and she was happy to see the all-out hustle they showed for most of the day.
Gilman had a sluggish start in bracket play but held on for a 25-23 win over Owen- Withee in game one and then closed out the match with a solid 25-15 win.
Ashland’s size was a problem for Gilman. The Pirates’ third Division 2 opponent of the day was in command over the last game and a half and won 25-19, 25-12.
Weir had 14 kills and seven blocks in the tournament. Kia Dietzler had seven aces, Gracie Tallier had 28 digs and freshman Kenlyn Kroeplin stepped into the setting role and had 35 assists.
